Knife handle with renewable blades



G. E. sELDoN 2,820,293

KNIFE HANDLE WITH RENEWABLE BLADES.

Jar..A 21, 195s y vFiled March 24, 1954 United States The primary object of this invention is to provide a knife handle for holding a thin, sharp-edged knife blade and permit easy removal of the blade. The cutting edge of the blade is substantially parallel to the handle of the knife, as is normal in a knife.

A second object of this invention is to provide a knife handle for holding a thin, narrow single-edge blade cornmon to certain safety razors, and to position the cutting edge parallel to the length of the handle, as is usually found in knives for cutting.

A third object of this invention is to provide a knife handle for thin, sharp, razor blades, from which the blades may readily be removed and re-inserted with a minimum of effort and with a simple clamping mechanism that cannot be lost or malfunction.

A fourth object of this invention is to provide a knife handle and closer combination that permits storing the blade in the handle for safe carrying,

A fifth object of this invention is to provide a handle for holding thin, single-edged razor blades in such a mann ner as to permit a range of blade exposures from a very short to the maximum length of the blade, while still keeping the clamping surface.

Other` objects will be found by those familiar with the art on perusing this disclosure.

Figure l shows an assembled knife holding a blade. The slider is forced along the handle toward the blade end and onto the wider edges of the arms closing the jaws of the clutch over the knife blade, holding it securely.

Figure 2 shows the knife handle with the slider at the hinge end, allowing the arms to open and release the blade. Note the slider is retained on the handle by the upset portion of the hinge. v

Figure 3 shows section AA of Figure l taken through the hinge. One arm is extended through a hole in the opposite arm and riveted over. This upset portion is the part that protrudes and prevents the slider from coming ofi.

Figure 4 shows section BB of Figure l looking toward the hinge end. Note the stored blade.

Figure 5 shows section CC through the jaws of the chuck, with the blade in the clamped position.

Figure 6 shows the slider, keeper, or tensioning device.

Figure 2 shows the knife handle in the open position: 1 is an arm and 2 is another arm hinged to the rirst at 3. Each arm has a clutch jaw generally designated by d which is a U bent up of sheet metal. The leg 5 is a direct extension of the metal of the handle. Part 6 is a tab of the sheet turned substantially 180 degrees to 5, forming the U-shaped clutch jaw 4. In the free or open position the space between the arms 5 and 6 is substantially less than the sum of the thickness of the blade 7 and one thickness of the handle sheet. Therefore, the resilience of the U clamps the blade securely on assembly, as will be shown later.

A sliding clamp is shown at 8, Figure 6, and also in Figures l, 2, and 4. The clamp is a continuous or tubular tube, with a taper at the ends to match that of the closed handle. The opening is just wide enough to permit the clamp to slide freely over arms l and 2 but is not wide enough to pass over the upset rivet 3. In Figure 2, the clamp is shown at the hinged end, with the handle in the unclarnped position.

When the arms f and 2 are moved together even though no blade is in the clutch, the shoulder points of the backs 10 are wider than the slot in the slider 8, so the slider cannot come olf this end at any time.

Figure 3 shows how the hinge is made with part of arm l extruded through the hole in arm 2 and riveted over to prevent the separation of the arms. The upset portion of the rivet is higher than the opening of the slot in slider 8. This prevents the slider S from coming olf over the hinge end.

In the closed position the slider is close to the blade. It has considerable width and stiffness and can be relied upon to stiffen the assembly, preventing deformation of the handle in hard use.

Figure l shows the knife handle assembled with the slider forced forward, clamping the blade 7 in place. In this view the blade 7 is grasped between the U shaped jaws 4 of the clutch as the arms l and 2 are closed upon themselves by the wedging action of the slider 8 as it is forced out over the backs The edge of the arm extension 5 in about /g removed from the bottom of the U in the jaw when the blade is in the clamped position. If the blade were removed, the arm could close in this 176,2" but no more. in the bladeless closed position the distance across the shoulderepoints of the arms 1 and 2 is still greater than the opening in the slider 3, and the slide cannot be removed from this end.

The back .iti is the double thickness straight edge caused by bending the flange Q back degrees upon the metal of the arms l. and 2. Along with the flange 9 the back 10 ends in a shoulder-like point, and that portion of the arm sheet which is the 180 degree bend of the sheet, or the back of the arm, forms a track on which the sliding clamp moves. The slider is open in the center, permitting it to enclose the arms l and 2 and also a spare blade 7. in the closed position, with a blade in place, the backs 10 are not parallel but are slightly inclined toward each other, being wider at the blade end than at the hinge end. As the slider moves toward the blade end of the assembly, the blade is clamped securely in the handle. Because of the slight taper it is easy to force the slider along the backs 10 of the arms, causing great pressure to bear on the blade.

Figure 5 shows section CC through the clutch end of the handle. On closing the jaws 4, the tabs 6 encircle the assembly and the legs 5 of the jaws are enclosed with the blade making a stiff assembly with the blade, preventing it from turning relative to the handle as cutting pressure is applied.

The legs 5 and 6 of each U are bent slightly inward making the space between the legs 5 and 6 of one jaw slightly less than the thickness of the blade plus the other leg 5, so that on clamping the jaws over the blade these legs being resilient, are sprung outward and exert considerable side pressure onto the blade.

I claim:

ln a knife provided with a removable blade having a handle comprising a pair of opposite sheet metal arms, a pivot joining said arms at one end, the ends of said arms opposite their pivot being provided with tabs bent to provide U-shaped blade clutching means, the tabs being of such length that when bent into U-shape their ends will be in firm engagement with a blade inserted therebetween, the sheet metal arrns provided on their outside edges with track surfaces, and a slider encircling said Patented Jan. 21, 1958 arms and movable to a position opposite said pivot, said bent ends of the tabs on the front ends of the arms holding the blade causing the arms to be held in diverse relationship whereby upon movement of the slider to the ends opposite the pivot causes the slider to Wedgingly engage the arms and firmly hold the blade in position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Gaunt Apr. 21, 1925 Goetz Jan. 19, 1926 Gardner et al Dec. 19, 1933 Donizer Mar. 8, 1949 Carroll Dec. 27, 1949 Miller Feb. 16, 1954 

